Plants of Puducherry

Ajwain Leaf अजवाइन पत्ता Plectranthus amboinicus Thick scented leaves on a succulent stem; one plant fills a windowsill pot for years. Amaltas अमलतास Cassia fistula Yellow chandeliers in May, when the city most needs something to look at. Amaranth चौलाई Amaranthus tricolor The monsoon green that grows itself — heat-proof, rain-proof, ready in a month. Amla आमला Phyllanthus emblica Feathery-leaved and drought-hardy; one grafted tree feeds a household through winter. Arabian Jasmine मोगरा Jasminum sambac A pot by an open window does more for a summer evening than any air freshener. Areca Nut सुपारी Areca catechu Slim palm of the wet south-west and north-east, grown in dense stands. Areca Palm सुपारी Areca catechu The slender betel-nut palm of the wet coasts, grown in dense shaded gardens. Arjun अर्जुन Terminalia arjuna A riverbank giant with pale bark — a campus or park tree, not a pot. Arjuna अर्जुन Terminalia arjuna A riverbank giant with pale bark — a tree for a campus or a colony park, not a… Ash Gourd पेठा Benincasa hispida The big white-waxed gourd of the south, stored for months after harvest. Ashoka अशोक Saraca asoca Orange flower clusters straight off the trunk — a sacred tree, now threatened. Ashoka Tree सीता अशोक Saraca asoca The true ashoka — orange flower clusters on a small shade-loving tree of wet forest. Ashwagandha अश्वगंधा Withania somnifera Drought-tolerant root herb for a hot sunny corner; needs almost nothing once established. Assam Tea चाय Camellia sinensis var. assamica The tea of the Brahmaputra valley — one bush on a balcony is enough for a pot. Babool बबूल Vachellia nilotica Thorny, nitrogen-fixing and useful on land nobody else will plant. Bael बेल Aegle marmelos A slow, tough native tree for a hot courtyard, with fruit that makes the summer sherbet. Baheda बहेड़ा Terminalia bellirica The third triphala fruit, from a broad-crowned tree of dry deciduous forest. Balsam गुलमेहंदी Impatiens balsamina A monsoon annual of verandah pots, with seed pods children cannot leave alone. Bamboo बांस Bambusa balcooa The fastest usable material on earth; one clump supplies poles for years. Banana केला Musa acuminata A single sucker in a corner gives shade, cooking leaves and, in time, fruit. Bans Kaban कबान बांस Dendrocalamus strictus The dry-country bamboo of central India, solid-stemmed and drought-hardy. Banyan बरगद Ficus benghalensis The tree that becomes a grove; only for parks, campuses and village greens. Barleria कटसरैया Barleria prionitis A spiny yellow-flowered shrub of dry scrub, unbothered by heat or thin soil. Ber बेर Ziziphus mauritiana The fruit of the dry west, cropping where irrigation is impossible. Betel Leaf पान Piper betle The paan vine — grown in shaded enclosures across Bengal and the east. Bhringraj भृंगराज Eclipta prostrata A low monsoon weed of wet ground, gathered for hair oil for as long as anyone remembers. Bhumi Amla भूमि आमला Phyllanthus niruri A tiny monsoon herb that appears in every wet pot, with fruit strung under the leaf. Bilimbi बिलिम्बी Averrhoa bilimbi Sour fruit straight off the trunk, in constant supply on the wet coasts. Bird’s Nest Fern पक्षी घोंसला फर्न Asplenium nidus A rosette epiphyte that grows on a tree fork or a shaded wall bracket. Bitter Gourd करेला Momordica charantia A tough climber that fruits through the worst humidity of the year. Black Gram उड़द Vigna mungo A short monsoon pulse, sown between crops as much as for the dal. Black Pepper काली मिर्च Piper nigrum The vine that made the Malabar coast; needs a tree to climb and constant humidity. Black Pepper Vine काली मिर्च Piper nigrum The vine that made the Malabar coast; needs a tree to climb and constant humidity. Bottle Brush चील Callistemon citrinus Red brushes of stamens on drooping branches; a hardy naturalised garden tree. Bottle Gourd लौकी Lagenaria siceraria A monsoon climber that will roof a terrace in eight weeks given a frame. Bougainvillea बोगनवेलिया Bougainvillea glabra Thrives on being ignored — the more you neglect it, the harder it flowers. Brahmi ब्राह्मी Bacopa monnieri A creeping marsh herb happy in a wide bowl of wet soil — the one plant you cannot… Breadfruit सीमा कटहल Artocarpus altilis Big lobed leaves and starchy fruit; a coastal tree of Kerala and the islands. Brinjal बैंगन Solanum melongena A long-season crop that rewards a big pot and steady feeding. Cardamom इलायची Elettaria cardamomum Green cardamom of the Western Ghats — deep shade, cool air and steady rain. Cashew काजू Anacardium occidentale A coastal tree that fruits on poor laterite where almost nothing else does. Casuarina सरू Casuarina equisetifolia The coastal shelterbelt tree of the east and south — fast and salt-proof. Ceylon Ironwood पुन्नाग Mesua thwaitesii A tall wet-evergreen tree of the southern Ghats, red-flushed in new leaf. Chameli चमेली Jasminum grandiflorum The Spanish jasmine of the perfume trade, grown widely in the north and west. Champa चम्पा Plumeria rubra Grows from a bare cutting pushed into dry soil; scents a whole terrace. Champak चम्पा Magnolia champaca Orange-yellow flowers whose scent carries across a whole garden at dusk. Chinese Hibiscus गुड़हल Hibiscus rosa-sinensis Flowers nearly all year in a warm city, and sunbirds find it within a week. Chow Chow इस्कुस Sechium edule The squash that covers a whole roof in one season across the eastern hills.